LANSING, Mich. — Sen. Roger Victory, R-Hudsonville, this week supported Senate passage of a fiscal year 2020 budget plan that boosts agriculture funding and increases funding for roads and schools to record levels while maintaining fiscal responsibility.
“The success of agriculture in Michigan is critical to the success of the state as a whole, and accordingly, this budget plan increases the agriculture budget general fund amount by $2.9 million more than the governor’s recommendation,” said Victory, vice chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee and chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture and Rural Development.
“The budget includes $3 million in ongoing support for the successful Animal Agriculture Initiative, and $4 million for the Food and Agriculture Investment Program grants.”
The budget would invest $15.2 billion in education, representing a more than $2.6 billion increase in state funding for schools since FY 2011. Michigan schools would see a foundation allowance boost of between $135 and $270 per pupil — which is $107 million more of a foundation allowance increase than the governor’s plan.
The Senate-passed budget includes an additional $51.2 million for constitutional revenue sharing for local governments, graduates 85 new state police troopers, invests $120 million for drinking water protections and fully implements $1.2 billion from the 2015 roads plan a year ahead of schedule — investing an additional $132 million entirely to local roads.
The budget would also restore the governor’s planned funding cuts to programs that improve access to OB-GYN services in rural areas, strengthen rural hospitals, boost the number of medical residents in underserved areas, and support skilled trades training.
“The fiscal year 2020 budget has been through one of the first steps in the appropriations process,” Victory said. “I hope the House acts quickly as well, so we can pass a timely, balanced budget for the good people of Michigan.”
SBs 133-149 now head to the House of Representatives for consideration.